A giant inflatable IUD sculpture named Freeda Womb made its way to City Hall and LOVE Park

Standing at 20 feet, Freeda Womb isn’t afraid to stand for Americans’ right to contraception.

And on Friday morning, the giant inflatable shaped like an IUD stood in the heart of the city.

The inflatable is a project undertaken by Americans for Contraception, which planted the temporary installation at City Hall and Love Park to bring awareness to the threat to contraception and abortion access in the country following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Since then, Pennsylvania (where abortion remains legal through the 23rd week of pregnancy) has seen an uptick in the number of out-of-state residents who came into the state to access abortion services.

Additionally, in a statement released Thursday, AFC pointed to the Trump-Vance ticket and its connections to Project 2025, saying that they represent “a direct assault on the right to contraception, a right that has been hard-won and must be fiercely protected.”

Trump has sought to recently distance himself from the Project 2025, a massive outline of policy proposals for a second Trump presidency, crafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation with input from former Trump administration officials.

Since June, the inflatable has traveled to other cities including St. Louis, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Nashville, before making its way to Philadelphia.

The balloon-like contraceptive sculpture caught the attention of attendees like Patricia Owens, who works in OB-GYN care at Jefferson Hospital.

“Birth control and contraception is definitely needed,” said Owens, who thinks the recent rulings issued by the Supreme Court are out of step with what most Americans want. “It’s not a good thing to take contraception away because of incest and rape. And in a lot of cases, young girls are victims.”

In support of Friday’s display, State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D., Philadelphia) and State Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D., Montgomery County) addressed passersby. The two emphasized the importance of the presidential election, which will likely influence the future of abortion and contraception rights.

“I think people are really waking up to the stakes of this election, I really do,” Kenyatta said speaking from behind a podium that proclaimed, “Contraception is healthcare.” “There are very real outcomes that feel so draconian and dramatic that it’s difficult to wrap their heads around,” he said.

Cappelletti, who is the first Pa. state senator to give birth while holding office, said the upcoming election is “mission critical.”

“This isn’t just your basic policy difference,” Cappelletti said. “This is really throwing a wrench into the function of federal government, and the function of state and local government by proxy. It all works its way down. So, I hope people are really engaging and understanding how important their vote truly is.”

AFC spokesperson Caren Benjamin said the organization will continue to campaign through the election. And if there’s a threat to contraception beyond that point, the campaign may be extended.

For now, Benjamin said she and other advocates are gearing up for trips to Charlotte and Chicago with a new plan in order — to target first-time voters on college campuses.

“We think a lot of younger people might not be able aware of everything that’s at stake,” Benjamin said. “It’s important to get anything off the table that takes away the right to prevent getting pregnant when you choose not to.”

Artist Molly Gochman, another attendee, said it’s vital for public works to stir conversations of this magnitude. The New York resident said she’s “grateful” organizations like Americans for Contraception and others are behind such efforts.

“We need to constantly breathe new life into what we want to advocate for and what we stand for,” she said. “And I love that it takes up physical space. It’s piquing people’s interest all around.”